MAIN EVENT. A Good Place to Get Started --- a.k.a "Table of Contents"
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MAIN EVENT. A Good Place to Get Started --- a.k.a "Table of Contents" |
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It's impossible to make an adverse comment about cornet genius Ruby Braff. For one thing, no one who knows jazz would believe criticism about this veteran performer. Just sit down and spend an hour listening to the new release from Braff, "Ruby Braff with Strings: In the Wee, Small Hours in London and New York" (Arbors Records). Even if you never heard of him prior to reading his name in this column, you will (assuming your ears are on straight) acclaim Braff as one of the best behind that condensed version of the more famous trumpet.
Braff has been called a musician who was born a generation too late. But he has been credited with forming a bridge between early jazz and swing, then incredibly formed another span between swing and bebop. "The Penguin Guide to Jazz on CD, Third Edition" labels Braff as a marvel, in that his cornet playing has an "almost vocal agility that balances delicacy of detail with a strong underlying pulse and harmonic richness."
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A footnote on the album cover observes that this program contains "tunes enjoyed by Bing Crosby and Frank Sinatra." The album contains some of the best music of the 20th century, including "Swinging on a Star," "Pennies From Heaven," "Love Walked In," "Moonlight Becomes You," and "My Heart Stood Still." The closer is Braff's incredibly lovely interpretation of Irving Berlins mega hit, "White Christmas."
All that remains in my stack of new music are a few rock CDs by obscure players and a pile of good-but-not great contributions by performers who fit more comfortably in the folk mode than in jazz. So I hope all you faithful readers will permit me to produce a shorter-than-normal opus. By next time, I hope my faithful mail carrier will deliver a stack of new stuff.
Until then, think jazzy thoughts. I do.
The new album is a combination of eight tracks recorded in 1978 for Peter Boizot's London club called Pizza Express. The album sounded so good to its producer that the title of "Volume One" was added prior to its release. As Charles Champlin writes in the notes, "Alas, Boizot's Pizza Express label has limited distribution. Few copies of the album were printed and sold and there never was a Volume Two." In a way, the new release becomes that missing second volume.
It's easy to see why. Or rather, to hear why. The eight numbers from those 1978 sessions are simply and to the point, just plain gorgeous. The ten new tracks, recorded last March, have an all-star collection of players backing Braff. Bucky Pizzarelli plays guitar, John Bunch does wonderful work at the piano (as always) and bassist Michael Moore is very much at home in this setting. Kenny Washington is one of the delightful drummers, who is more felt than actually heard. Tommy Newsom, who used to spar with Johnny Carson on the old Tonight Show, wrote the arrangements and leads the strings.
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Taking a Vacation?
Because record companies (or at least the ones who have my name on their mailing lists) seem to pick January as a good time to kick back and breathe easy after the holiday rush. That's the reason for this brief edition of "Powerssound."
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